The Jordanian military has foiled an attempt to smuggle drugs from Syria by drone, the army said.
The kingdom has what officials describe as a major drug problem that has caused foreign policy ramifications. Domestic consumption has risen sharply in the past three years, during which Jordan has become a regional transit centre for addictive pills, mainly the amphetamine Captagon.
Photos distributed by the army showed parcels of drugs strapped to small black drone, which the military said it downed after it crossed from Syria on Saturday.
The parcels contained pills packaged as Galica 300, a commercial name for the nerve drug Pregabalin, the photos showed.
"The drone was controlled and downed and a volume of drug substances were found,” an army statement said.
Security officials in Jordan and the Gulf say illegal pills worth billions of dollars on the street are manufactured in Syrian regime areas and smuggled by cartels linked to militias in Iran and Jordan.
Most are then smuggled from Jordan to inner Arabia, and some to Israel, they say.
Failure to curb the drug trade marred relations between Amman and Riyadh and was thought to be a driving force behind a policy by Jordan to have accommodated the regime of Bashar Al Assad since 2019.
Russia encouraged the rapprochement, which diplomats in Amman say has cooled since Moscow's assault on Ukraine because of misgivings from the US, Jordan’s main financial and military supporter.
The Jordanian military regularly announces drug busts on the border with Syria in operations that can involve gun battles with smugglers.
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
A cryptocurrency primer for beginners
Cryptocurrency Investing for Dummies – by Kiana Danial
There are several primers for investing in cryptocurrencies available online, including e-books written by people whose credentials fall apart on the second page of your preferred search engine.
Ms Danial is a finance coach and former currency analyst who writes for Nasdaq. Her broad-strokes primer (2019) breaks down investing in cryptocurrency into baby steps, while explaining the terms and technologies involved.
Although cryptocurrencies are a fast evolving world, this book offers a good insight into the game as well as providing some basic tips, strategies and warning signs.
Begin your cryptocurrency journey here.
Available at Magrudy’s , Dh104
What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere
Director: Scott Cooper
Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Odessa Young, Jeremy Strong
Rating: 4/5
